With $122.9 billion projected for the global content marketing market by 2032, content is no longer a “nice to have” activity. Yet the same research that highlights growth also shows why it can fall apart, like 74% of consumers feeling frustrated by irrelevant content. Let’s piece together the engagement, channel, and B2B buying signals that explain what works and why.
Key Takeaways
- 76% of marketers say content marketing increases engagement
- 61% of marketers report their organizations using content to increase engagement
- 30% of CMOs say content marketing is a top growth priority
- 44% of marketers report improving brand awareness through content
- 41% of marketers say social media is one of their top content channels
- 48% of marketers say video is important for content marketing
- 49% of marketers use email newsletters for content distribution
- 45% of marketers distribute content via LinkedIn
- 74% of consumers feel frustrated by irrelevant content
- 72% of marketers say personalization increases engagement
- 1.01 billion people use social media monthly on average (2024)
- $122.9 billion global content marketing market projected in 2032
- $6.0 billion spend on influencer marketing in 2024
- 55% of B2B buyers use content during their buying process, according to a 2020 Gartner survey of B2B buyers
- 61% of B2B buyers consume vendor content to help them make purchase decisions, per a 2019 Gartner report based on B2B buyer interviews
Content marketing boosts engagement and brand awareness, with personalization, video, and SEO driving measurable growth.
Related reading
01 · Category
Engagement Metrics2 stats
Interpretation
Engagement Metrics Interpretation
For engagement metrics, 76% of marketers say content marketing boosts engagement and 61% say their organizations use content specifically to drive it.
02 · Category
Budget And ROI1 stats
01
30% of CMOs say content marketing is a top growth priority[3]
Interpretation
Budget And ROI Interpretation
With 30% of CMOs naming content marketing as a top growth priority, budget decisions in the Budget And ROI category signal that a significant share of leaders is investing in content because they expect measurable returns from it.
03 · Category
Brand Awareness1 stats
01
44% of marketers report improving brand awareness through content[4]
Interpretation
Brand Awareness Interpretation
With 44% of marketers saying content improves brand awareness, it’s clear that content marketing is a proven driver for boosting visibility in this category.
04 · Category
Channel Mix2 stats
Interpretation
Channel Mix Interpretation
In the channel mix, social media stands out with 41% of marketers naming it a top content channel, and video follows closely with 48% saying it is important, signaling that these two formats are key priorities for content distribution.
05 · Category
Distribution2 stats
Interpretation
Distribution Interpretation
For distribution, email newsletters lead with 49% of marketers using them, showing they remain the most common channel, while LinkedIn follows closely at 45%.
06 · Category
Personalization2 stats
Interpretation
Personalization Interpretation
For the personalization category, the key trend is that 74% of consumers feel frustrated by irrelevant content while 72% of marketers report that personalization increases engagement, making relevance essential rather than optional.
More related reading
07 · Category
Market Size4 stats
01
1.01 billion people use social media monthly on average (2024)[11]
02
$122.9 billion global content marketing market projected in 2032[12]
03
$6.0 billion spend on influencer marketing in 2024[13]
04
10.8% of all website traffic worldwide in 2024 came from organic search, according to data published by StatCounter’s Global Stats[14]
Interpretation
Market Size Interpretation
With the global content marketing market projected to reach $122.9 billion by 2032 and organic search already driving 10.8% of worldwide website traffic in 2024, the Market Size angle shows content is sitting on a massive, proven demand engine.
08 · Category
Audience Behavior5 stats
01
55% of B2B buyers use content during their buying process, according to a 2020 Gartner survey of B2B buyers[15]
02
61% of B2B buyers consume vendor content to help them make purchase decisions, per a 2019 Gartner report based on B2B buyer interviews[15]
03
64% of B2B buyers say they perform research before engaging with sales, reported in a 2021 Forrester B2B survey[16]
04
73% of B2B buyers view 3–5 pieces of content before contacting a vendor’s sales representative, according to Gartner research on B2B buying behavior[15]
05
The average B2B buyer consumes 3–7 pieces of content before engaging with a vendor, per a 2019 CEB (Gartner) report cited widely in Gartner materials[15]
Interpretation
Audience Behavior Interpretation
For the audience behavior angle, B2B buyers consistently rely on vendor content well before sales outreach, with 73% viewing 3 to 5 pieces and the average buyer consuming 3 to 7, underscoring how early research shapes purchase decisions.
09 · Category
Industry Trends1 stats
01
83% of marketing and sales professionals believe that marketing and sales alignment improves results, reported in a 2021 study by the Aberdeen Group (now part of Gartner)[15]
Interpretation
Industry Trends Interpretation
Industry Trends show that 83% of marketing and sales professionals believe alignment improves results, underscoring why more businesses are making it a top priority for content marketing effectiveness.
10 · Category
Audience Insights1 stats
01
61% of marketers say improving SEO and increasing their organic presence is a top priority[17]
Interpretation
Audience Insights Interpretation
Audience Insights show that 61% of marketers prioritize improving SEO and boosting organic visibility, suggesting audiences are increasingly being reached and understood through search-driven behavior rather than traditional outreach.
11 · Category
Lead Generation1 stats
01
48% of marketers say content marketing increases sales, demonstrating revenue influence[8]
Interpretation
Lead Generation Interpretation
With 48% of marketers reporting that content marketing increases sales, it signals that lead generation efforts can directly drive revenue through effective content.
12 · Category
Cost Analysis2 stats
01
$1.8 million is the typical cost of a market study (U.S., mean) including data collection and analysis, showing cost considerations for market intelligence feeding content[18]
02
B2B companies typically allocate 25% of their marketing budgets to content, showing the centrality of content in overall marketing spend[19]
Interpretation
Cost Analysis Interpretation
Under the Cost Analysis lens, it’s clear that with B2B companies typically spending 25% of their marketing budgets on content and a U.S. market study averaging $1.8 million for data collection and analysis, content planning is closely tied to substantial upfront research costs.
Reference
Cite This Report
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APA
Margot Villeneuve. (2026, February 13). Content Marketing Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/content-marketing-statistics
MLA
Margot Villeneuve. "Content Marketing Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/content-marketing-statistics.
Chicago
Margot Villeneuve. 2026. "Content Marketing Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/content-marketing-statistics.
Sources & references
19 sources cited across this report